The power of being a vulnerable leader with Jon Kaupla

About this episode

Jon Kaupla discusses the importance of vulnerability in leadership and how it has impacted his career.

Jon Kaupla was appointed to run the Center for Executive and Leadership Education at the USF Muma College of Business last July. The center is designed to deliver practical, high-impact learning experiences for current and emerging leaders. Prior to USF, Jon spent nearly a decade leading the Center for Professional & Executive Development at the Wisconsin School of Business. On this episode, Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon and Jon talked about the power of being vulnerable and admitting mistakes as a leader, and he’s personally taken that approach to advance his career. 3 Takeaways: (07:15) Peer relationships are key in management (13:30) The power of the pause (16:00) Reprioritization is key throughout your career Timestamps: (00:00) Introducing Jon Kaupla, Executive Director, Center for Executive and Leadership Education (05:00) What is the Center for Executive and Leadership Education? (06:50) What makes good leaders? (10:00) Adapting to feedback (11:30) Mentors (13:20) Handling conflict as a leader (15:15) Tough decisions (17:20) What is coming in 2026? Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in…

People in this episode

Host: Mark Gordon

Guest: Jon Kaupla

Topics covered

• vulnerable leadership
• career advancement
• peer relationships
• management
• mentorship
• conflict resolution

Keywords

• vulnerability
• leadership
• career
• management
• mentorship
• conflict
• feedback

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center for Executive and Leadership Education, USF Muma College of Business, Wisconsin School of Business, Business Observer

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